News Release

Barry Rose Water Reclamation Facility Damaged by May 7th Storm

Post Date:05/08/2019 10:26 pm

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulations (30TAC 319) require that municipalities report wastewater collection system overflows to the local media and local officials when overflows exceed 100,000 gallons. On Wednesday, May 8, 2019 the City of Pearland discovered that a spill from the Barry Rose Water Reclamation Facility (Permit # WQ0010134002) collection system occurred due to experiencing critical equipment failure due to flooding.

The plant has below ground pumps to move the wastewater into the plant, and City staff discovered that all of the pumps had been underwater and were incapacitated since 11:30 p.m. Tuesday May 7, 2019. Emergency pumps were ordered at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday May 8, 2019 to pump down the collection system and the facility is once again operational, but due to the length of time the main pumps were down, an estimated 654,000 gallons (15% of daily intake) of domestic wastewater overflowed one manhole inside of the facility and at four manholes outside the facility, which lead to a drainage ditch that outflows to Clear Creek near Barry Rose and Pearland Parkway.

The impacted area is Clear Creek south of Barry Rose, but due to elevated creek levels from the storm any contaminants should dissipate quickly. City staff is monitoring the situation and testing water upstream and downstream and reporting results to TCEQ. In addition, any wastewater on the street has been neutralized, removed, and returned to the treatment plant.

Due to the length of time the overflow occurred, City of Pearland recommends citizens avoid any contact with the creek, as well as abstain from any recreational use of the channel from downstream of the Barry Rose Water Reclamation Facility. If the public comes into contact with water or soil potentially affected by the spill, they should bathe and wash clothes thoroughly as soon as possible.